According to the 1999 Current Population Survey of the United States Census, a staggering 55% of individuals at least 25 years old who failed to complete high school or receive a GED reported no earnings for the year. This compares to 25% of those 25 years or older with at least a high school diploma or GED who failed to report earnings for the year.

Furthermore, for those who reported earnings in 1999, the median income for individuals who did not complete their high school diploma or GED was $15,334, compared to a median income of $29,294 for those with at least a high school diploma or GED.

One of the main reasons for this large discrepancy is that it is becoming standard practice for companies to require all of their employees to have at least a high school diploma or GED. Individuals who did not finish high school or receive a GED are thus not eligible for a large number of jobs in today's job market.

A number of online high schools have designed online programs specifically for this problem. These diploma programs are fast and affordable and they are recognized by many companies. Graduates of the programs are able to quickly earn their diploma and begin applying for jobs or positions that were previously beyond their reach.

Students in these programs typically take a multi-part high school equivalency test and complete an enrollment application. Once they have passed the test and completed their enrollment application, they can order a high school diploma graduation package from the online high school.

A typical high school diploma graduation package includes a high school diploma and transcripts based on the high school equivalency test taken earlier. The better online high schools also include employer verification with their diplomas, which means employers can call the school's registrar and verify that a student has graduated from the program.

One of the advantages of these programs is that the entire program can be completed from any computer with Internet access, and each student can complete the program at their own pace. Motivated students can typically complete the entire program and receive their high school diploma within five days or less.

A high school diploma from one of these online high school's typically costs several hundred dollars. However, students can typically sign up for the program, take the equivalency test and complete their enrollment application for free. Students do not pay anything until they have completed the program and are ready to order a high school diploma graduation package.

These new high school diploma programs often make an excellent alternative to a general education diploma, or GED. If someone is considering getting a GED to be eligible for a job, then getting a high school diploma from an online high school has a number of advantages: it can be completed much faster, it doesn't require any classroom time and it is affordable. In addition, many of these diplomas are accepted by most companies who require their employees to have a high school diploma or GED.